What your joints need

Arthritis (arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation; plural: arthritides) is a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints of the body. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 55.

There are many different forms of arthritis, each of which has a different cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease) occurs following trauma to the joint, following an infection of the joint or simply as a result of aging. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that abnormal anatomy may contribute to early development of osteoarthritis.

Around 107,000 people are said to be hospitalized thanks to bad reactions with NSAIDs – the group of drugs Vioxx belonged to.

There are different forms of arthritis, but the two most commonly known are rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This is when the body fails to recognize its own constituent parts as “self” and begins to attack its own cells and tissues – in this case, the joints. Being a systemic disease, it often affects other body tissue, including skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs and muscles.

Osteoarthritis on the other hand, is a degenerative condition caused by a wearing of the cartilege that cushions the joints. This causes pain and loss of mobility which in turn may lead to muscular atrophy after a while, bringing further complications.

How Common Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is very common. It has been estimated that as many as 70 million Americans — or about one in three — have some form of arthritis or joint pain. It is a major cause of lost work time and serious disability for many people. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, affects more than 20 million Americans. Arthritis affects people of all ages, but is more common in older adults.

Causes

The exact cause of arthritis is unknown. However, there are a number of risk factors associated with various arthritic conditions.A risk factor increases the chances that a person will develop a disease or condition. Some researchers suspect that rheumatoid arthritis is triggered by an infection — possibly a virus or bacterium — in people with an inherited susceptibility. Although the disease itself is not inherited, certain genes that create an increased susceptibility are. People who have inherited these genes won’t necessarily develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms

If you have arthritis, you may experience:

* Joint pain

* Joint swelling

* Stiffness, especially in the morning

* Warmth around a joint

* Redness of the skin around a joint

* Reduced ability to move the joint

Risk Factors

Certain factors have been shown to be associated with a greater risk of arthritis. Some of these risk factors are modifiable while others are not.

Treatment

Treatments for arthritis have improved in recent years. Most treatments involve medications. But in some cases, surgical procedures may be necessary. Drug classes used to treat arthritis include:

* NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

* COX-2 Inhibitors

* Pain Medication (analgesics)

* Corticosteroids

* DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs)

Arthritis sufferers look for pain relief where ever they can find it. There are two exercises that can offer pain relief and the benefits of muscle strengthening to any age group. Both are low impact, low stress exercises and can be done in your Santa Cruz home. What are these wonder exercises you ask? Swimming and Tai Chi. Both offer a low impact way to strengthen muscles and tendons without putting stress on your joints.

Tai Chi for arthritis

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art form that has become recognized for its health benefits. There are several things that Tai Chi improves through its slow movements and concentration:

• overall physical condition

• muscle strength

• coordination

• flexibility

• balance

• pain levels and stiffness

• sleep disturbances

• general well being

The various movements of Tai Chi are designed to flow into the next. Posture, movement, concentration, and breathing are essential in Tai Chi.

Arthritis Care and Research did a study that showed Tai Chi could offer modest benefits to people with different forms of arthritis. This study looked at the results from seven different clinical tests. Tai Chi was the only treatment used for muscle and joint pain and it worked in all seven clinical trials.

You can do Tai Chi movements in your own Santa Cruz home once you have the basic moves down. To get started though, you may want to find out if the local YMCA has classes. It is fairly common for a Y to offer them.

Swimming for arthritis

Swimming gives your entire body a great workout. Since it is so low impact, any age group can do it. You do not have to swim vigorously to reap the benefits, either. A modest lap of the pool is better than the time spent on the couch. Swimming is also a social exercise. You may get to know the people who share the pool with you and make new friends near your Santa Cruz home.

Swimming offers several health benefits:

• overall physical condition

• muscle strength

• coordination

• flexibility

• pain levels and stiffness

• sleep disturbances

• general well being

You will notice that they are almost the same as Tai Chi. The buoyancy of the water carries your body weight and your heart rate stays lower than it does with other types of exercise. You won’t have to go anywhere far from your Santa Cruz home to swim. If you are afraid that the ocean is too strong, there are treatment centers and family YMCA’s around that offer senior swim times or water aerobics classes. Local pools such as the Simpkins Swim Center in Live Oak or the Harvey West pool in Santa Cruz can be home to these exercise classes, so check them out as well.

With both forms of exercise your will need to go through a stretching and warm up before you start. A pulled muscle is no fun and if you are already in constant pain, you do not want to add to it. There are many benefits to both types of exercises including that they can be done together and near your Santa Cruz home.

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, pain relief is likely your primary interest. This degenerative disease can be extremely painful and uncomfortable when it flares up. Basically, rheumatoid arthritis typically affects the joints around the ankles, wrists, fingers and hands.

The tissue that surrounds the joint, called synovial fluid, allows for smooth movement between the bones. Rheumatoid arthritis develops when this fluid becomes damaged, causing inflammation, pain and swelling of the joints. This inflammation can eventually destroy the joint, eating away at the cartilage and bone.

No one knows what triggers the inflammation, but it’s thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the immune system creates antibodies that fight against the body’s tissues. It is unclear why this occurs, but it’s a common illness that affects millions of people and tends to run in families. It can develop at any age, but usually starts in the latter part of middle age.

The Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is acute pain and swelling in the joints along with a hot sensation and almost burning pain. Also associated with the disease are flu-like symptoms which include general aches, pains and fever. The initial onset of the disease is marked by morning stiffness of the affected joints.

Following are typical methods to treat this painful disease.

Contemporary Pain Medicine

The medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are pain relievers like acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs have the added benefit of reducing inflammation as well as pain. Corticosteroids are given orally to treat severe or aggressive forms of the disease.

Physical Therapy as Treatment

Hydrotherapy is effective for soothing pain and is one of the oldest treatments for arthritis pain relief. It’s often used in conjunction with other treatments. Thermotherapy is the application of heat or cold to sore joints, which can also ease pain.

Most physiotherapists recommend regular exercise and joint and muscle strengthening activities. Generally, an easy exercise routine that includes both strengthening and aerobic activity is recommended.

Managing the Disease Through Diet

If you’re overweight and suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, weight loss is important. Follow an anti-inflammatory program that excludes dairy and processed foods, avoids excess gluten and sugar, and includes the herbs ginger, curcumin and tumeric.

In addition to relieving pressure on the joints, the diet associated with weight loss can also improve your overall health. Finally, fish oil and flaxseed oil are critical anti-inflammatories that can be very helpful.

Bryonia Pain Relief

Bryonia is a homeopathic treatment designed to reduce the heat and swelling of joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis. It’s a natural arthritis pain relief treatment that’s also believed to regulate toxicity levels in the joints and therefore reduce instances of inflammation.

Homeopaths believe that applying pressure to the joints can provide both temporary and ongoing pain relief.

For those who suffer from this painful disease – which can cloud the vibrancy of each day with discomforting gloom – relief is often foremost on their minds. There are at least a few viable options to provide temporary distance from the pain.

Arthritis Treatment Overview

We use this title because not all arthritis treatment is, shall we say, enjoyable. If you suffer from the painful effects of this debilitating condition though, very little can seem worse. The pain is often so severe that the simplest movements can cause anguish and even tears. But, there are treatments to help arthritis. Can they cure it? That is still to be seen, but many have shown to be effective in fighting off the pain. First, there are many different types of arthritis. The causes of each will help to determine the treatment. But, here, we will talk mainly of the treatment options available and then those that are quite possibly the best at treating rheumatoid arthritis.

The symptoms of any arthritis start with pain. There is pain in the joints in a way that limits the amount of movement a person has. Now, remember, as well, that arthritis can strike any individual, not necessarily just older people. So, if a child stops using a limb complaining of pain, a doctor should be seen. On top of this, if symptoms of pain are accompanied with fever a doctor should be seen immediately as this can be a sign of a deadlier arthritis known as septic arthritis. In all cases, arthritis is an inflammation in the joints. The problem in rheumatoid arthritis is that, in trying to deal with the inflammation, the immune system ends up attacking the cartilage in the joints. The end result is pain and lessened use of the effected joint.

In order to stop this process, arthritis treatments can be anything from surgery to medications. There are some good notes about medications, but in the end, they can not resolve the entire problem, only mask the pain for a while. Surgery is invasive and costly. Physical treatment is available and has shown good progress in helping some patients. There are also herbal remedies that have shown good signs of helping as well. There is one product that we would like to mention in a little more detail. What is so unique about this product, though, is that it is a natural treatment that can be taken.

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in particular, collagen type II can be just as good as a cure to some individuals. This natural substance is actually a main component of cartilage itself. But, no injections are needed because this is an oral treatment. You will take a pill, in other words. There are many reasons why this medication works including the fact that it has an absorption rate of 70 to 90 percent. This means more of it is used and fewer doses are needed. There are other reasons why it works so well.

For instance, the immune system has a component of cells in the intestine called the GALT. This is where proteins are recognized as food or “friend” and therefore not treated as allergies or sensitivities by the digestive system. When collagen type II is ingested, the GALT recognizes this amino acid as a friendly protein. This action switches off the immune system’s attack on collagen elsewhere in the body as in arthritic joints. Instead of the immune system fighting the inflammation and destroying the remaining good material, the Galt simply tells it to stop. And, probably the most important aspect of this natural arthritis treatment is that it can also help to rebuild the damaged and destroyed cartilage. The combination of these two factors can help to restore a normal way of life.

Septic Arthritis is also known as infections arthritis or pyogenic arthritis. This disease is not known to most people across the globe. However, one must be aware of this disease, its symptoms, causes and treatment as it is a serious infections that can hit the joints. It can result into severe pain, chills, swelling and inflammation in one or more joints. In severe cases this can also result in loss of function in the affected joints.

In medical terms, septic arthritis has also been considered as a medical emergency. This is because it tends to cause severe damage to the bones and cartilages. It is also capable of resulting in to a septic shock. This is a fatal condition!

If you are already shocked by now, don’t panic. Just read on and learn more about this deadly disease in order to provide timely medical assistance and saving yourself or your loved ones from the hazards of this fatal disease.

A) People vulnerable to this disease

This type of arthritis can strike people of any age group; even infants can suffer from this disease. When it comes to adults, this disease mainly affects the joints that bear weight such as the knee. In children, the disease mainly attacked the hips, knees and shoulders. When it comes to genre that’s at maximum risk to get affected from this disease, male homosexuals and women are the main targets.

B) Causes of Septic Arthritis

Septic arthritis can majorly affect a person when certain type of infections organisms such as a bacteria reaches a joint. This bacteria can easily get in to a joint via the blood stream or surgery. An injection or injury can also be a main cause of this type of infection.

If this type of arthritis has affected a baby or young child, then it can be because of hemophilus influenza, staphylococci and gram negative bacilli.

People who use intravenous drugs or with diseases that have potential for weakening the immune system such as HIV are also vulnerable to septic arthritis.

C) Symptoms of Septic Arthritis

Septic arthritis is usually characterized by swelling in the joint, severe or acute pain in the affected area, fever and chills. When this arthritis affects the hip, you may experience pain in the groin area. The pain becomes worse and the patient is unable to walk. The joint is sore to touch. Newborns or infants experience painful movement of the limb and cries when the diaper is changed or gets fever. Young children and adults tend to experience intense joint pain, low-grade fever, joint swelling, joint redness and inability to move the limb with the infected joint. Chills may also occur but in rare cases.

D) Treatment options for Septic Arthritis

The disease can be treated effectively when diagnosed quickly. Antibiotics are the best options to treat this disease. These are given via a vein to kill the bacteria quickly. The remaining course is taken orally.

Surgical drainage is also required under cases where the doctor feels it necessary to drain the fluid.

Arthritis is technically related to any painful inflammation in the joints; but this term is commonly used to refer to all types of joint problems. On the contrary, inflammatory arthritis is referred to all the conditions of joints which involve the inflammation and immune system.

For instance, in osteoarthritis, wearing out of bone ends on the articular cartilage. This is the cause of the inflammation. In case of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation occurs in joint lining as a symptom of systematic disease. In inflammatory arthritis, pain and stiffness is experienced. This is the very first thing happening in the morning as well as after sitting for sometime. This differentiates it from degenerative arthritis where worsening of pain occurs while performing any activity and during the end of the day.

Development of inflammatory arthritis

The most probable ways in which arthritis occurs are autoimmune disorders, where body considers its own tissues as alien and retorts with inflammation. The autoimmune situation includes rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Reiter’s Syndrome, lupus and other types of arthritis related to inflammatory bowel disease.

Certain types of bacteria are also responsible for arthritis such as reactive arthritis or by depositing crystalline composition in joints as with pseudogout and gout. As far as pseudogout or gout is concerned, the body fails to eliminate itself from sufficient amounts of crystalline structures because of the metabolic deformity which occurs with age. This results in causing deposition of excess amount of waste product in the joints, generally the big toe and the knee and very often in the spine.

Symptoms

Symptoms found in inflammatory arthritis are different from that found in someone suffering from degenerative disc disease or stenosis, basically for whom the back pain is a major compliant. Conventional medical treatments are useful to get relieved from the symptoms experienced through inflammatory arthritis. However they fail to observe and cure the root cause of the problem. The causes that are responsible for arthritis are allergies to foods or sensitivities, various infections, chemicals and inhalants. It is always beneficial to use natural medicine treatments for treatment of inflammatory arthritis.

Treating inflammatory arthritis

The immune system is a very complicated and complex system of specialized organs made from cells as well as cell products that continuously produce antibodies to fight the substances in the body that appear alien and foreign to it such as viruses, bacteria, ,mutant or worn out or damaged cells and infectious agents. Once the immune system detects an allergen or infection, it produces antibodies to fight against offending organism or products for eliminating it from the body.

In case of autoimmune disease, an individual’s immune system fails to recognize among “non self” and “self”, and eventually attacking the body’s self organs, tissues and cells. There are number of autoimmune diseases, both disturbing and long. For treating these diseases, conventional medical practitioners concentrate on relieving the symptoms and gradually slowing down the progress of the disease. Prednisone is useful as it controls the symptoms but does not take care of etiology of underlying condition.